my microcosm

From the Velvets to the Voidoids: The Birth of American Punk Rock

Exhaustively researched and packed with unique insights, this history
journeys from the punk scene's roots in the mid-1960s to the arrival of
"new wave" in the early 1980s. With a cast that includes Patti Smith,
Pere Ubu, Television, Blondie, the Ramones, the MC5, the Stooges,
Talking Heads, and the Dead Boys, this account is the definitive story
of early American punk rock. Extraordinarily balanced, it tells the
story of the music's development largely through the artists' own words,
while thoroughly analyzing and evaluating the music in a lucid and
cogent manner. First published in 1993, this was the first book to tell
the stories of these then-little-known bands; now, this edition has been
updated with a new discography, including imports and bootlegs, and an
afterword detailing the post-1970s history of these bands. Filled with
insights from interviews with artists such as Lou Reed, Debbie Harry,
David Byrne, Patti Smith, and Richard Hell, this book has long been
considered one of the essential reads on rock rebellion.